Over the past three years Mount St. Mary Academy art students in IB Art, Art III and Art IV have been creating portraits for children around the world in collaboration with The Memory Project. The nonprofit organization works with art students across the globe with the purpose of creating portraits for youth who have faced substantial challenges, such as neglect, abuse, loss of parents and extreme poverty. The portraits are sent to the children to help them feel valued and important, to know that many people care about their well being, and to act as meaningful pieces of personal history in the future.  For the students, it is an opportunity to creatively practice kindness and global awareness; they have provided portraits for children in Bolivia and Syria over the last few years.

In order to raise awareness of the Syrian war’s effects on children, seventy photographs of The Memory Project student artwork will be on display at the University of Wisconsin beginning September 21, 2017; two of the portraits in the exhibit were created by Mount St. Mary students Aryn Angyal and Meredith Muller.

If you happen to pass through Madison, Wisconsin, between now and November 19, please check it out!  For more information on the Memory Project click here.

Syrian portraits by MSM students on display at the University of Wisconsin: artwork by Meredith Muller (left) and Aryn Angyl (right)

On September 23, 2017, 21 members of the Mount St. Mary Junior Classical League (Latin Club) and friends washed over 40 cars to raise money to help victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.  The club wanted a way to help provide relief and decided to sponsor something culturally appropriate yet fun.  Latin club president, Evelyn Nick, proposed the fundraiser to the administration, who then approved it.  All determined that Saturday the 23rd would be perfect since it was homecoming weekend and alumnae would be visiting the campus over the weekend.  One alumna, who is now a Latin teacher in Washington, D.C., stopped in to make her donation and think about the fun times in Latin class while she was at MSM. The event also drew in neighbors of Mount St. Mary who were happy to help the effort made for people hit so hard by the recent disasters.  God provided great weather for the event, and the students worked hard throughout the morning.  All proceeds ($1249) will go to the the “Texas Flood Relief” fund of Catholic Charities of Arkansas which is providing aid to victims of both Harvey and Irma.  

The 15th annual Mount St. Mary Academy “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” Alumnae Picnic welcomed more than 200 of the school’s graduates back to their high school home.  Alumnae representing classes from 1948 to 2012 gathered for school tours followed by dinner and fellowship. Alumnae perused yearbooks and alumnae merchandise and enjoyed the photo booth mementos, courtesy of LeMay Photography. Rosalyn Hastings, Class of 1948, was recognized for earliest class year and received the award with her daughter and granddaughter, both MSM alumnae. The Class of 1977, celebrating their 40-year reunion, won the coveted spirit stick for most classmates in attendance.